"It's been a heavy week" said Celine Foenander at the start of this week's 'Week in Review' and in some ways it has.

Gippsland has seen interest from two Western Australia based companies who would like to get their hands on local coal.

Mantle Mining has been granted an exploration licence over land in the southern Latrobe Valley near the township of Mirboo North.

The Managing Director of Mantle Mining, Ian Kraemer, says the company has advertised in Melbourne and Gippsland newspapers.

Mr Kraemer says any mining in the area is still years off.

"Certainly in areas where there are very good rural industries. There are going to be extremely strict environmental impact and social impact compliance requirements. And it's quite a long period of time before anyone would actually even put a drill hole in on ground. And you need to come to an agreement with landholders about that. That's just for the exploration phase, which would probably take three to five years."

Another company, Green Power energy is hoping to establish a pilot plant after it's initial research suggests that Gippsland coal is suitable to turn into oil.

The company has been researching the potential of Gippsland coal at the University of Texas and hopes to meet with representatives of Clean Coal Victoria in coming weeks.

Away from what lies beneath the ground to what lies beneath the seas and an Auditor General's report into the management of Victoria's

Marine National Parks has surfaced this week raising questions about how effective Government management of the Parks and Marine Sanctuary's has actually been.

Finally legislation introduced into State Parliament will see tougher penalties for drunken behaviour in public places.

The issue is particularly pressing in Traralgon where the 'entertainment district' has been in the spotlight after a series of violent assaults and Bairnsdale which has been at or near the top of league ladders showing the highest number of assaults in regional areas of the State.